When legendary rock vocalist Ronnie James Dio lost a lengthy battle with stomach cancer in May, he left a gaping hole in the world of heavy metal. As a matter of fact, his legendary vocal stylings were so unique that it will take two vocalists to pay tribute to him as they front his band Heaven & Hell for one last show.
As Consequence of Sound points out, Dio's post-Black Sabbath outfit will be paying tribute to the fallen star via an upcoming concert taking place at the High Voltage Festival in London on July 24. For the event, Heaven & Hell will draw on the vocal diversity of one-time Sabbath front-man Glenn Hughes, as well as multi-million selling Norwegian singer Jørn Lande.
Lande obviously knows his way around a Dio tune, as he plans to drop a full tribute album called Dio on July 27 via Frontiers. In addition to 12 covers, the album also includes the original track "Song for Ronnie James." If you haven't noticed by now, dude is a serious Dio obsessive.
In a statement to fans, Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi said, "Ronnie's passing has left a huge hole; we hadn't anywhere near finished what we set out to do as a band together. He was so looking forward to the European tour and we hope this appearance will go some way to fulfilling that."
Bassist Geezer Butler added that they hope to raise awareness about the deadly disease through the performance. "Early detection is vital, and greatly improves the chance of a cure... Seeing one of your best friends die because we all think we're immune from this disease really brings it home. Do it for yourself, your family, your friends. Ronnie would be proud of you."
As Consequence of Sound points out, Dio's post-Black Sabbath outfit will be paying tribute to the fallen star via an upcoming concert taking place at the High Voltage Festival in London on July 24. For the event, Heaven & Hell will draw on the vocal diversity of one-time Sabbath front-man Glenn Hughes, as well as multi-million selling Norwegian singer Jørn Lande.
Lande obviously knows his way around a Dio tune, as he plans to drop a full tribute album called Dio on July 27 via Frontiers. In addition to 12 covers, the album also includes the original track "Song for Ronnie James." If you haven't noticed by now, dude is a serious Dio obsessive.
In a statement to fans, Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi said, "Ronnie's passing has left a huge hole; we hadn't anywhere near finished what we set out to do as a band together. He was so looking forward to the European tour and we hope this appearance will go some way to fulfilling that."
Bassist Geezer Butler added that they hope to raise awareness about the deadly disease through the performance. "Early detection is vital, and greatly improves the chance of a cure... Seeing one of your best friends die because we all think we're immune from this disease really brings it home. Do it for yourself, your family, your friends. Ronnie would be proud of you."
